Broncos planned to trade Jerry Jeudy regardless of WR’s request

Chasing a Broncos team that has sorely missed its No. 2 cornerback (Riley Moss) during a historical revenge game, Jerry Jeudy‘s return to Denver went quite well – at least for the wide receiver. Even though the Browns failed to pull off an upset win, the fifth-year wideout’s performance was the most 235 receiving yards ever against a former team.

The Broncos traded Jeudy to the Browns in March for fifth- and sixth-round picks, parting ways after the talented but unreliable receiver had surfaced in trade rumors since the 2022 deadline. Jeudy said later in the offseason that he asked to be dealt, but The Denver Post’s Troy Renck points this out The Broncos would have moved on regardless of the WR’s wishes.

Denver significantly reduced its 2023-24 asking price. The team had hoped for a first-round pick in return for the wideout in the 2023 offseason and set a price for the second-round pick Courtland Sutton last year too. The best offer received for Jeudy last year included a package that was believed to include third- and fifth-round picks. The Broncos had achieved this by the 2023 deadline but remained in contention despite being 3-5 at the time.

At the time, Denver was in the midst of a five-game winning streak and the team did not elect to sell. This midseason rebound (after a 1-5 start) eliminated the Broncos from the season Caleb Williams–Jayden Daniels–Drake Maye competition, but the team immediately saw that the No. 12 pick had promise Bo Nixwho put together an Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign despite Jeudy having to give up a receiving corps at WR2.

Designed during John ElwayDuring his last year at the helm, Jeudy showed elite route-running skills but struggled to make a consistent impact in Denver. He averaged 972 receiving yards in one season, a 2022 campaign that was extremely disappointing Russell Wilson–Nathaniel Hackett Partnership. Much of Jeudy’s consistency issues can be traced to quarterback issues the Broncos had during the Alabama alum’s tenure. That’s what Jeudy said last week before he torched a Moss-free secondary, even though he hasn’t done particularly well against it Patrick Surtain when the two matched. Jeudy (880 yards, three touchdowns) is on track for his first 1,000-yard season, but that was stymied early by the Browns’ refusal to go to the bench Deshaun Watson despite a sad game.

The Broncos may also have received a better offer than what the Browns proposed this offseason, as the Jets are believed to have proposed a deal that included a Day 2 pick for Jeudy, who was entering his fifth option season at the time . During an off-season in which Woody Johnson He is believed to have hindered GM at the time Joe Douglas The Jets owner reportedly rejected the AFC East team’s proposal a few times. That led to a bad sell for the Broncos, and the Browns now have Jeudy on what appears to be a team-friendly contract. Days after the trade, Cleveland gave Jeudy a three-year, $52.5 million contract that came with $41 million fully guaranteed.

Jeudy’s issues in Denver aside, it appears the team has finally found a quarterback who can match his skill set. Of course, the Nix-Jeudy partnership never existed. The Broncos decided to move on early — rather than wait to see how their QB plan panned out — by trading Jeudy before free agency and then putting together a cost-effective WR corps alongside Sutton.

The Broncos saw a rookie in the seventh round Devaughn Vele Show early promise with ex-Nix Oregon teammates Troy Franklin also integrated into the crime. the team added Josh Reynolds had a two-year, $9 million contract but landed on IR with a finger injury; Reynolds suffered minor injuries in a shooting shortly afterwards. The team had hoped Marvin Mims would step into the Jeudy role, but the 2023 second-round pick was more of a gadget player than a regular starter. However, Mims has shown improvement of late – as evidenced by his 93-yard score on Monday night.

One can argue that the Broncos would have been wise to give Jeudy another chance, but the relationship had certainly deteriorated by this point. The Browns acted Amari Cooper in October, clearing the way for Jeudy to become their lead wideout to finish this season. Denver will likely look to improve its pass-catching group this offseason, as Sutton – who was rumored to have joined Jeudy as a mainstay – is 29 years old and set for a 2025 contract year, while Vele is one of the older rookies in the NFL’s younger ranks. history is; The Utah alum turns 27 this month.